1. Teaching grammar in MFL - challenges and opportunities
Mary Heath

2. Talk outline School context MFL context: teaching and learning
The role of grammar
Challenges with grammar:
Enjoyment
Activities
Links with other languages
Implications ->university collaboration

3. Context School: - Girls’ grammar school
≈ 60% of pupils speak a language in addition to English
MFL:
French compulsory and German and or Latin
Research:
Questionnaire carried out (80 respondents)

4. Major aim Means Learning in MFL Communicating with accuracy
Grammatical understanding

5. An Aim Means Learning in MFL Communicating with accuracy Communicating
- set phrases
Grammatical understanding
- manipulating language
Oral activities
Cloze activities
Thinking activities / explanations
Spontaneous speech
(Repair) strategies
Translation
Real life contexts

6. Aim Means Learning in MFL Communicating with accuracy
Grammatical understanding
Oral activities
Cloze activities
Thinking activities / explanations
Spontaneous speech
(Repair) strategies
Translation
Real life contexts

7. Aim – successful learning
Means
Aim – successful learning
Knowing how and why
Knowing how
Knowing why

8. Challenges with grammar
Means
Aim
Communicating with accuracy
Communicating
Grammatical understanding

9. Challenge 1 Importance vs enjoyment

10. Green – perceived level of importance
Blue – perceived level of enjoyment

11. Aim Means Learning in MFL Communicating with accuracy
Grammatical understanding
Oral activities
Cloze activities
Thinking activities / explanations
Spontaneous speech
(Repair) strategies
Translation
Real life contexts

12. Challenge 1 Importance vs enjoyment
Clear understanding of importance
Views on enjoyment
Difficulty
Knowing how to apply it (gap fills vs translation)
Quantity of information required
Exceptions
Nature of what is involved (rules / memorisation)

13. Challenge 2 Learning and teaching associated with grammar

14. Challenge 2 Learning and teaching associated with grammar
Grammatical understanding
repeating
memorising
Translation– constrained

15. Challenge 2 Learning and teaching associated with grammar
Teacher challenge
Grammatical understanding
repeating
memorising
Translation
Tools for learning
Binary
Communicative outlet

16. Challenge 3 Perceived lack of link between languages

17. Challenge 3 Perceived lack of link between languages
Grammar L1 L2
Grammar
Non English
Grammar MFL
Grammar taught in English lessons
Grammar taught in MFL lessons
Theoretical links between language systems
Links between Non English and MFL
Links between English and MFL

18. Challenge 3 Perceived lack of link between languages
Grammar taught in English lessons
Grammar taught in MFL lessons
Difficulties:
- terms (different in different languages)
- concepts /framework
- lack of continuity
- approach to language learning (difficulty of English grammar as EAL)

19. Challenge 3 Perceived lack of link between languages – EAL
Approach to learning grammar of non English grammar
Grammar taught in MFL lessons

20. Conclusions Pupils recognise importance of grammar
Discrepancy between importance of grammar and enjoyment
Pupils associate very rigid activities with grammar learning
Pupils are often unable to make links between grammar in different languages

21. Implications and support from universities
Promotion of language awareness (in any language)
What is important in language?
Promotion of links between learning of language
Promotion of embedding grammatical ideas in communicative way / range of activties
Sharing research on communication and accuracy

22. Thank you
Any questions?